Mario Culina

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Anaheim Ducks prospect Maxime Comtois of the Victoriaville Tigres is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending February 11 after scoring four goals and four assists for eight points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-6.

Comtois delivered a trio of multi-point performances for the seventh place Tigres who officially clinched a berth in the QMJHL Playoffs riding a five-game winning-streak which has improved their record to 30-18-4-2. His week began Wednesday with a goal and an assist in a 7-1 victory over the Val-d’Or Foreurs, and continued Thursday scoring twice with two assists as second star of an 8-4 win against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. His week wrapped up outdoors on Saturday competing in the Drummondville Winter Classic scoring his 30th goal of the season and adding an assist to extend his personal point-streak to seven in a 2-0 victory over the Voltigeurs.

A 19-year-old from Longueuil, QC, Comtois is playing in his third season in Victoriaville after being selected by the Tigres third overall in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft. His 54 points in 41 games are just six points shy of his career-high of 60 set during his rookie season across 62 games. Comtois was a second round pick by the Ducks in the 2017 NHL Draft and won gold as a member of Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo.

Also considered for the award this week was Anaheim Ducks prospect Tyler Soy who became the Victoria Royals all-time leading goal scorer with 142 during a week in which he recorded four goals and four assists for eight points in three games, and 2018 NHL Draft prospect Liam Foudy of the London Knights who scored five goals and two assists for seven points in three games.

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Brody Willms of the Moose Jaw Warriors is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending February 11 after posting a perfect 2-0-0-0 record with two shutout victories for a goals-against-average of 0.00 and save percentage of 1.000.

Willms turned aside all 35 shots he faced in a pair of starts last week helping the first place Warriors improve their record to 42-9-1-2 atop the overall WHL standings. On Friday night he made 20 saves and earned second star honours in a 2-0 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes, then stopped all 15 fired his way on Saturday as third star of a 6-0 win against the Kootenay Ice.

A 19-year-old from Coquitlam, BC, Willms is playing in his fourth full season in Moose Jaw after being selected by the Warriors in the eighth round of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft. In 41 games this season he’s compiled a 30-7-1-2 record including four shutouts with a goals-against-average of 2.94 and save percentage of .902.

Also considered for the award this week was rookie Colten Ellis of the Rimouski Oceanic who posted a 2-0-0-0 record including a shutout victory making 41 saves for a goals-against-average of 0.50 and save percentage of .976. In the OHL, overage Mario Culina of the Kitchener Rangers who went 2-0-0-0 making 81 saves for a goals-against-average of 2.00 and save percentage of .953.

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Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that NHL Draft prospect Liam Foudy of the London Knights is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending February 11 after scoring five goals and two assists for seven points in three games with a plus-minus rating of plus-9.

Liam Foudy of the London Knights. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Foudy produced a trio of multi-point performances that helped the Knights win three straight games to maintain their hold on fourth place in the Western Conference standings with a 29-20-2-2 record. On Friday night he delivered a career-high three points with two goals and an assist as third star of a 4-1 win over the Erie Otters, then on Saturday scored a goal with an assist as second star of a 5-3 win over the Sudbury Wolves. His week wrapped up Sunday in Guelph with two goals including the overtime winner earning first star honours in a 3-2 triumph over the fifth place Storm.

A native of Scarborough, Ont., Foudy celebrated his 18th birthday on February 4. He’s playing in his second season with the Knights after being chosen by the club in the first round of the 2016 OHL Priority Selection. In 50 games this season Foudy has scored 15 goals and nine assists for 24 points however has been particularly hot as of late with 11 goals in 14 games since January 5. He is eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft listed 91st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and recently competed in the 2018 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game for Team Orr where he performed among the top five in both on and off-ice skills testing.

Watch video highlights of Foudy and the Knights against the Otters, Wolves, and Storm.

Also considered for the award this week were a pair of overage forwards including Nikita Korostelev of the Peterborough Petes with three goals and five assists for eight points in three games, and Ethan Szypula of the Owen Sound Attack with five goals and two assists for seven points in three games. In goal, overager Mario Culina of the Kitchener Rangers went 2-0-0-0 making 81 saves for a goals-against-average of 2.00 and save percentage of .953.

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in January 2018, including Niagara IceDogs forward Sam Miletic, Mississauga Steelheads defenceman Nicolas Hague, Barrie Colts rookie Andrei Svechnikov and Kitchener Rangers netminder Mario Culina.

OHL Player of the Month – Sam Miletic (Niagara IceDogs):

Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Sam Miletic of the Niagara IceDogs is the OHL Player of the Month for January after leading all players with 25 points including 12 goals, 13 assists over 13 games with a plus/minus rating of plus-7. Acquired by the IceDogs early in the month, Miletic recorded 15 of his 25 points with his new club including a four-point effort on Jan. 26th against Sarnia, completing a hat-trick on the overtime winner. He had a total of seven multi-point efforts including two-goal outings on Jan. 7th with the London Knights against the North Bay Battalion as well as on Jan. 12th with the IceDogs against the Barrie Colts. Miletic earned first star of the game honours three different times, helping the IceDogs play to a 5-2-1-1 record since acquiring him as they lead the Central Division.

A 20-year-old native of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Miletic sits fourth in OHL scoring with 69 points and tied for third in league assists with 45. Signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins to a three-year entry level NHL contract this past fall, Miletic was originally a 15th round pick of the London Knights in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection. He’s recorded 138 points (64-74–138) over his 144-game OHL career.

OHL Defenceman of the Month – Nicolas Hague (Mississauga Steelheads):

Vegas Golden Knights prospect Nicolas Hague of the Mississauga Steelheads is the OHL Defenceman of the Month for January, leading all blueliners with 16 points including five goals and 11 assists over 10 games. The 6-foot-5, 216Ib. Hague registered five multi-point outings last month including three assists on Jan. 3rd at Erie. He ended January with back-to-back three point efforts that both included a goal and two assists on Jan. 26th against Peterborough and again on Jan. 28th against Sudbury. Hague enters February on a three-game goal-scoring streak after helping the Steelheads play to an 8-2-0-0 record in the month of January.

A 19-year-old native of Kitchener, Ont., Hague leads the Steelheads in scoring with 56 points including 25 goals and 31 assists in 46 games. Mississauga’s all-time leader in points by a defenceman, Hague set a single-season franchise record for goals by a blueliner when he scored his 21st back on Jan. 5th against Kitchener. His 25 goals are the most by an OHL defenceman since Anthony DeAngelo and Jordan Subban both reached the mark during the 2014-15 season. Hague represented Team OHL in the 2017 CIBC Canada-Russia Series back in November and was a second round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights this past summer. He was Mississauga’s second round pick in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection.

OHL Rookie of the Month – Andrei Svechnikov (Barrie Colts):

For the second time this season, Barrie Colts forward Andrei Svechnikov is the OHL Rookie of the Month. The top-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings released earlier this month, Svechnikov led OHL rookies with 17 points including nine goals and eight assists over 11 games in January. Svechnikov returned from the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship where he represented Russia to register points in 10 of 11 games, entering the month of February on a six-game run of multi-point performances. He had a pair of two-goal games including Jan. 19th at Mississauga as well as Jan. 31st at Owen Sound.

A 17-year-old native of Barnaul, Russia, Svechnikov leads OHL rookies with 23 goals to go with 15 assists for 38 points in just 27 games after missing time with an injury. The 6-foot-3, 184Ib. left-handed shot was the first overall pick of the 2017 CHL Import Draft and represented Team Orr in the recent 2018 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Overage netminder Mario Culina of the Kitchener Rangers is the Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month for January. Suiting up for both the Rangers and Sudbury Wolves this month, Culina played to an overall record of 6-1-1-0, posting a 1.74 goals-against average, a .946 save percentage and two shutouts over eight games. He is a perfect 6-0-0-0 since joining the Rangers on Jan. 8th. His month was headlined by back-to-back shutout efforts including a 34-save performance on Jan. 17th at Niagara followed by a 36-save showing at home to the Erie Otters on Jan. 19th. He enters the month of February on a six-game winning streak, making over 30 saves in three of his last four games.

A 20-year-old native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Culina joined the Sudbury Wolves in late November after starting the season with the Ryerson University Ram’s Men’s Hockey team. A Mastercard Memorial Cup champion with Windsor last spring, Culina has posted a 2.61 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and 8-5-2-0 record in 16 games this season, improving to 31-18-4-1 in his OHL career. He was originally signed as a free agent by the Windsor Spitfires in September 2015.

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that St. Louis Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 21 after scoring 11 points in three games including two goals and nine assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-6.

Kyrou recorded a trio of multi-point performances last week helping the Sting extend their winning-streak to seven and improving their overall record to 32-12-2-0. His week was highlighted by a five-point effort on Sunday which extended his personal point-streak to seven games dating back to December 8 tallying the game-winning goal with four assists as first star of a 6-5 road win over the Oshawa Generals. The Sting captain also chipped in three assists on Wednesday earning third star honours in a 6-3 road win over the Flint Firebirds, then scored a goal and two assists on Friday as part of a 5-3 win against top ranked Sault Ste. Marie giving the Greyhounds their first regulation loss in 30 games since the Sting defeated them on October 27.

A 19-year-old from Toronto, Ont., Kyrou is playing in his fourth season with the Sting who chose him in the second round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection. The World Junior gold medalist has reclaimed the OHL scoring lead with 23 goals and 50 assists for 73 points in just 35 games. He was a second round pick by the Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Also considered for the award this week was Matt Fonteyne of the Everett Silvertips with three goals and seven assists for 10 points in three games, and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan with four goals and three assists for seven points in two games.

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Mario Culina of the Kitchener Rangers is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending January 21 after posting a 3-0-0-0 record including two shutout victories for a goals-against-average of 0.67 and save percentage of .980.

Culina turned aside 98 shots last week in a trio of victories for the Rangers who improve their record to 30-14-2-0 atop the OHL’s Midwest Division. He began the week with back-to-back shutouts, the first two of his career, earning first star honours in both games including Wednesday night with a 34-save performance in a 6-0 win over the Niagara IceDogs and Friday night with 36 saves in a 3-0 victory against the Erie Otters. He finished the week with 28 saves as part of a 4-2 victory over the Guelph Storm on Sunday afternoon.

A 20-year-old from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Culina is playing in his third OHL season and first with the Rangers after being acquired from the Sudbury Wolves in January. Since joining the Rangers he’s posted a perfect 5-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.20 and save percentage of .958. Culina began his OHL tenure with the Windsor Spitfires during the 2015-16 season and was part of the club’s 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup title.

Also considered for the award this week was Philadelphia Flyers prospect and three-time award winner Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips with a 2-0-0-0 record including one shutout stopping 48 shots for a goals-against-average of 0.50 and save percentage of .980. In the QMJHL, Matthew Welsh of the Charlottetown Islanders posted a 1-1-0-0 record making 52 saves for a goals-against-average of 1.52 and save percentage of .945.

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Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that St. Louis Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting is the OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week for the week ending January 21 after leading the league with 11 points in three games including two goals and nine assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-6.

Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Kyrou becomes the league’s first two-time award recipient this season after recording a trio of multi-point performances to reclaim the OHL scoring lead and help the Sting win all three games last week to extend their winning-streak to seven. On Wednesday night he contributed three assists and earned third star honours in a 6-3 road win over the Flint Firebirds, then scored a goal and two assists on Friday as first star of a 5-3 win over top ranked Sault Ste. Marie bringing an end to the Greyhounds 29-game point streak. Kyrou’s week wrapped up Sunday with another first star effort tallying five points including the game-winning goal plus four assists in a 6-5 road victory over the Oshawa Generals. This extended his personal point-streak to seven games dating back to December 8 as the Sting now hold an overall record of 32-12-2-0 following weekend action.

A 19-year-old from Toronto, Ont., Kyrou is playing in his fourth season with the Sting who chose him in the second round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection. The captain now has 23 goals and a league-high 50 assists for 73 points in just 35 games. Kyrou was one of eight current OHL players to help Canada win gold at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo producing 10 points in seven games. He was a second round pick by the Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Also considered for the award this week was Vegas Golden Knights prospect Nick Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack with five goals and three assists for eight points in three games, and Minnesota Wild prospect Dmitry Sokolov of the Barrie Colts with four goals and four assists for eight points in three games. In goal, Mario Culina of the Kitchener Rangers went 3-0-0-0 with two shutout victories making a total of 98 saves for a goals-against-average of 0.67 and save percentage of .980.